Cartridge.



No. 63I,085. Patented Aug. I5, |899. W. C. LYNHAM. |:AnTR|m3.|:l

(Application led Dec. 17, 1898.) (No Model.)

j mm UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM CLIFFORD LYNIIAM, OF RICHMOND, VIRGINIA.

CARTRIDGE.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent NO. 631,085, dated August 15, 1899.

Application filed December 17, 1898. Serial No. 699,543. (No model.)

To al?, whom, t may concern.'

Be it known that LWILLIAM CLIFFORD LYN- HAM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Richmond, in the county of Henrico and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Means for Protecting the Mouth End of Shells or Cartridges Against Radial Distention; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled inthe art to which it appertains to make and use the same My present invention relates to simple and eiiicient means for protecting the mouth or open end of shells or cartridges against latof a firearm, such lateral distention of the shells usuallyresulting in this type of irearm by reason of the successive shocks and jars imparted to the shells or cartridges during the continuous operations of feeding the latter from the magazine of the gun to the barrel ready for firing.

In using a magazine-gun, and particularly a magazine-shotgun, it is customary for the sportsman to recharge the magazine after each shot or after everyother shot, as the peculiar circumstances of the occasion will permit, so that the magazine will at all times be charged to its full capacity. In carrying out this mode of procedure it will be understood that the first two or three shells placed in the magazine will under ordinary circumstances remain therein for a considerable period of time, since the shells last placed in the maga zine are the first to be fed to the barrel, and during such feeding operations the said shells are continuously subjected to shocks or blows by reason of their contact one with another, which soon tends to flatten and distend them at their mouths,so that theybulge out,whereby the diameter thereof is increased to such an extent that they will not enter the gun-barrel. This objection is particularly noticeable in magazine-Shotguns, where paper shells are generally used, and it has existed to such an extent as to greatly limit the usefulness of this type of rearms.

It is the purpose of my present invention to entirely obviate this prior existing difculty or objection and to provide simple and improved means whereby the mouth ends of the accompanying drawings eral distention when in use in the magazine the firearm, so as to closely coniine the mouth end of the cartridge or shell, whereby distenftion at such end will be impossible.

In order to enable others to more readily `understand and make'use of my said invention, I will proceed to describe the same in dej tail, reference being had for this purpose to v gr, wherein- Figure l is a perspective View of a cartridge or shell constructed .in accordance with this vinvention and forming a support for an adjacent shell to protect the mouth end thereof when said shells are placed in the magazine of a I'irearm. Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partly in section, showing two shells and the manner in which one shell forms a support for an adjacent shell. Fig. 3 is a view, partly in section, showing the magazine of a firearm `and the shells or cartridges nested therein. y Fig. t is a sectional view illustrating a modiiication of my invention.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of a shell, partly in section, showing a modified form of seat or pocket.

In that form of my invention illustrated in Figs. l and 2 I have shown the protecting means or support heretofore referred to as being embodied in the shell or cartridge itself.- The reference-numeral l in these figures iudicates an ordinary paper cartridge or shell as ordinarily employed in magazine-shotguns, said shell being provided with the ordinary brass head 2, which is provided with a seat or pocket 3, formed by an annular groove, said seat or pocket being of a size sufficiently large to receive and embrace the mouth end 4 of an adjacent cartridge or shell when nested in the magazine of a firearm, as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings. By referring to these figures it will be seen that the seat or pocket 3 in the head of one shell receives and embraces the mouth end 4 of an adjacent shell, so as to support the same around its edge or circumference in order to confine said edge and prevent radial distention or enlargement, which would otherwise result, due

ICO

Y Vfrom the drawings.

to the concussion or shock of one shell against another incident to the successive operations of feeding the shells from the magazine to the barrel of the firearm.

In order to protect the month end of the first shell placed in the magazine, or that shell lying adjacent to the spring-follower 5, I have arranged said follower to constitute a snpport to act in the same manner as the shellsupport heretofore described, said follower being provided with a seat or pocket 6, formed by an annular groove, into which the mouth end of said shell seats or rests, as will be seen Instead of forming the seat or pocket directlyin the follower 5 Imay employ a disk or washer 7, as shown in detail in Fig. 4, and provide said disk or washer with an annular groove 8 to form a seat or pocket into which the mouth end of the shell will rest and be confined against radial enlargement or distention.

Instead of forming the seat or pocket in the shape of an annular groove, as illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4, I may employ the construction shown in Fig. 5, in which instance the head of the shell or support is provided with a circular depression 9 to provide an outer annular Wall l0, against which the outer edge or circumference of an adjacent shell abuts when the mouth of said shell is seated in the circular depression 9.

In this specification I have employed the term support to be construed in its broadest sense to mean a shell, follower, disk, or any other body provided witha seat or pocket of any form to receive and embrace the mouth end of a shell or cartridge, so as to protect the said mouth end of the shell or cartridge and prevent the same from being distended or bulged out radially.

From" the foregoing it will be seen that I provide a simple and inexpensive means for 2. As a new article of manufacture, a shell Y Y having a seat or pocket in its head of a size to receive and support the mouth end of an adjacent shell when resting in said seat or pocket, so as to protect the said mouth end of the shell against radial enlargement when subjected to shocks or blows.

3. As a new article of manufacture, a shell provided with an annular groove in its head of a size to receive and support the mouth end of an adjacent shell when resting in'said groove, so as to protect the said mouth end of the shell against radial enlargement when subjected to shocks or blows.

4. Means forprotecting the mouth end of a shell or cartridge against distention when in use in the magazine of a firearm, consisting of a support having an annular wall of a size to receive and form a seat or pocket for the said mouth end of the shell or cartridge, said wall being arranged to` embrace the outer edge of the shell at its mouth.

In testimony whereof I afx my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM CLIFFORD LYNIIAM. l/Vitnesses:

EMMETT SEATON,

CI-IAs. W. MEYnRs. 

